"What's the matter, boys?" cried Mr Hasnip, who was now standing on the
bank just where Burr major would land.
"Don't know, sir."
"He's frightened, sir."
"Got the cramp."
This, and half a dozen other replies, came in a confused chorus, as we
swam on in a half circle behind Burr major ready to help him if he
ceased to swim.
But he was striking out strongly, though his voice grew hoarser and more
weak as he neared the edge, where, ghastly-looking and shivering, he
snatched at Mr Rebble's hand, and allowed himself to be helped out.
"Don't make that noise, Burr major," cried the master. "What's the
matter with you? Speak."
"Gone down--drowning! Oh--oh!"
He said this last in a husky whisper, and with white rings showing round
his wide-open eyes, he turned and pointed toward the middle of the great
pool.
"Who--who has?" cried Mr Hasnip frantically, and we looked eagerly from
one to the other, but no one seemed to be missing.
"Speak, sir. Who is? Where?" cried Mr Rebble, seizing Burr major by
his wet shoulders and shaking him. "Don't go on like that. Speak."
But Burr major made one gesticulation, and then his limbs seemed to
double up beneath him, as he dropped fainting on the grass.
"What is it? cramp?" cried Lomax, coming up, and taking off his coat.
"I'll soon put that right."
"No; he says some one is drowning."
"What?" roared Lomax wildly. "One of my lads! Here, who's missing?"
There was no answer, and the boys all gazed in a frightened way at each
other.
"Here, Burr major, rouse up," cried Mr Rebble, shaking the long, thin
lad, as he knelt down on one knee. "Who was it? Any one with you?"
The boy's eyes opened a little, he looked up wildly, and, trying to
rise, pointed again to the middle of the pool.
"Was--by me," he moaned--"went down."
"Never mind who it is," roared Lomax, literally tearing off his clothes.
"Now, boys--divers. In with you!"
His loudly-spoken command acted like magic upon us, and Mercer, Hodson,
and I dashed into the water abreast, and swam for the middle of the
pool, where in turn we began to dive down and try if we could find our
luckless school-fellow, whoever he might be, but without result.
"That's right," cried Lomax, as I came up, for he had joined us in an
incredibly short space of time. "Keep trying. This way."
He stretched out his arms, joined his hands as high as he could above
his head, so that their weight should help to sink him, and he slowly
went down out of sight, while, as fast as our efforts would allow, we
boys went down and tried to search about, gradually extending the
distance from each other in obedience to the orders shouted to us from
the bank.
I suppose it was in ten feet water, about thirty yards from the great
embankment, where we dived down most, but our attempts became more
feeble, and I found myself at last swimming heavily close to Lomax,
whose fierce-looking head suddenly rose close to my hand.
"Does nobody know anything about where the boy went down?" he roared;
but there was no answer, and he panted out,--
"Take care of yourselves, boys. Don't overdo it. We must keep on, but
it's unkind work."
We dived again and again, till I felt that I could do no more, and once
more I was close up to Lomax, who had been down till he was almost
completely exhausted.
"Oh, my lad! my lad!" he groaned, as he began to tread water slowly,
"I'd have given anything sooner than this should have happened. Here,
you, Burr junior, you're spent, boy. Swim ashore."
"I'm not," I said. "I'm going down again."
"I'm done," groaned Lomax. "I seem to have no more strength."
Shouts and orders came from the bank.
"They're saying we don't dive," said Mercer piteously.
"Not diving?" cried Lomax. "Well!"
As he spoke, he sank again, and the water closed in a swirl over his
head, while, after taking a long breath, I dived under into the depths,
with the water thundering in my ears, as, during what seemed to be a
long space of time, though less than a minute, of course, I groped and
swam about till a curious sensation of confusion came over me, and,
frightened now, I touched something and clung to it wildly, believing in
my startled state that it was Lomax.
The next instant I was at the surface, surprised to see the old sergeant
making a rush at me, as he uttered a shout. Then he seized something by
me, and I knew that I had brought one of my schoolfellows to the
surface.
We swam ashore, to reach it soon after Lomax, who had borne the white,
limp figure we had rescued into the dressing shed.
"Boys who can run!" shouted Mr Rebble. "Blankets, quick!"